Question 1

An HRM audit is a formal review of the outcomes of HRM functions.

Accepted Answer

An HRM audit is a formal review of the outcomes of HRM functions. To conduct the audit, the HR department identifies key functions and the key measures of business performance and customer satisfaction that would indicate each function is succeeding.

Question 2

A recruiter's colleagues are most useful as a source of leads to qualified job candidates than are people the recruiter communicates with only occasionally.

Accepted Answer

A recruiter's closest friends and colleagues are less useful as a source of leads to qualified job candidates than are people the recruiter communicates with only occasionally. These less-close associates are likelier to have acquaintances who aren't already familiar to the recruiter.

Question 3

Which of the following elements of a high-performance work system determines how the details of the organization's necessary activities will be grouped,whether into jobs or team responsibilities?

Accepted Answer

Task design determines how the details of the organization's necessary activities will be grouped, whether into jobs or team responsibilities. In a high-performance work system, task design makes jobs efficient while encouraging high quality.

Question 4

Which of the following in an organization usually makes most of the decisions about organizational structure?

Accepted Answer

An organization's top management makes most decisions about structure, for instance, how many employees report to each supervisor and whether employees are grouped according to the functions they carry out or the customers they serve.

Question 5

Isabel is a new hire at an IT firm.She experiences trouble performing the job assigned to her even though she has the necessary skill set to complete the job.She has little clarity about team responsibilities and details of her work activities and has a difficult time comprehending the work activities.In this case,which of the following elements of the high-performance work systems has been implemented ineffectively by the organization?

Accepted Answer

Task design determines how the details of the organization's necessary activities will be grouped, whether into jobs or team responsibilities. In a high-performance work system, task design makes jobs efficient while encouraging high quality.

Question 6

Training dollars per employee is a business indicator of the success of an HR department's training programs.

Accepted Answer

Training dollars per employee is a business indicator of the success of an HR department's training programs.

Question 7

Which of the following elements in a high-performance work system contributes to high performance by encouraging people to strive for objectives that support the organization's overall goals and includes the performance measures by which employees are judged?

Accepted Answer

Reward systems contribute to high performance by encouraging people to strive for objectives that support the organization's overall goals. Reward systems include the performance measures by which employees are judged, the methods of measuring performance, and the incentive pay and other rewards linked to success.

Question 8

The usual way to measure customer satisfaction in the course of an HRM audit is to conduct experiments in controlled environments.

Accepted Answer

The usual way to measure customer satisfaction is to conduct surveys such as the employee attitude surveys.

Question 9

High-performance work systems result in _____.

Accepted Answer

Outcomes of a high-performance work system thus include higher productivity and efficiency. These outcomes contribute to higher profits. A high-performance work system may have other outcomes, including high product quality, great customer satisfaction, and low employee turnover.

Question 10

In a high-performance work system,task design makes jobs _____.

Accepted Answer

Task design determines how the details of the organization's necessary activities will be grouped, whether into jobs or team responsibilities. In a high-performance work system, task design makes jobs efficient while encouraging high quality.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is true about task design?

Accepted Answer

Task design determines how the details of an organization's necessary activities will be grouped, whether into jobs or team responsibilities.

Question 12

Which of the following statements is true of high-performance work systems?

Accepted Answer

To function as a high-performance work system, each of the elements-people, technology, and organizational structure-must fit well with the others in a smoothly functioning whole. Organizations need to determine what kinds of people fit their needs, and then locate, train, and motivate those special people.

Question 13

Nicole is a new recruit at a leading IT firm.She keeps records of important client data and is given special access to certain confidential data,which is available only to her and not to others in the organization.Given the nature of her work,which of the following elements of a high-performance work system is illustrated in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

Managers make decisions about the types of information to gather and the sources of information. They also must decide who in the organization should have access to the information and how they will make the information available. Modern information systems, including the Internet, have enabled organizations to share information widely.

Question 14

David believes that for a company to run smoothly,it must adopt an organizational structure in which the employees clearly know who their reporting managers are and which departments they belong to.David claims that this will give the employees clarity about their roles and functions and will help them contribute efficiently toward the organization's overall success.Which of the following statements strengthens David's claims?

Accepted Answer

Organizational structure is the way the organization groups its people into useful divisions, departments, and reporting relationships. In a high-performance work system, organizational structure promotes cooperation, learning, and continuous improvement. According to David's belief, an organizational structure should be such that it constructs an environment that supports the learning process.

Question 15

Gibson United is a new firm located in Chicago.The firm has to hire qualified individuals,compartmentalize them into different departments,and hire a set of managers who will be able to instruct,monitor,and guide these employees to ensure smooth functioning of the organization.In this scenario,Gibson United is engaging in creating a(n)_____.

Accepted Answer

Organizational structure is the way the organization groups its people into useful divisions, departments, and reporting relationships.

Question 16

Identify the term that refers to the way in which an organization groups its people into useful divisions,departments,and reporting relationships.

Accepted Answer

Organizational structure is the way the organization groups its people into useful divisions, departments, and reporting relationships.

Question 17

Which of the following is true of an information system?

Accepted Answer

Managers make decisions about the types of information to gather and the sources of information. They also must decide who in the organization should have access to the information and how they will make the information available.

Question 18

Ryan is an experienced employee at an organization.The latest policy implemented by the firm's management provides only new employees with bonuses and other perks for exemplary performance.Ryan has raised concerns regarding the revised policy,but management stands firm on its revised policy.Which of the following elements of a high-performance work system would most likely weaken the organization's performance?

Accepted Answer

Reward systems contribute to high performance by encouraging people to strive for objectives that support the organization's overall goals. Reward systems include the performance measures by which employees are judged, the methods of measuring performance, and the incentive pay and other rewards linked to success.

Question 19

Identify the statement that best defines a high-performance work system.

Accepted Answer

A high-performance work system refers to the right combination of people, technology, and organizational structure that makes full use of the organization's resources and opportunities in achieving its goals.

Question 20

One way to measure HRM effectiveness is to measure a program's success in terms of whether it achieved its objectives and whether it delivered value in an economic sense.

Accepted Answer

One way to measure HRM effectiveness is to analyze specific programs or activities. The analysis can measure a program's success in terms of whether it achieved its objectives and whether it delivered value in an economic sense.

Quiz 9: Creating and Maintaining High-Performance Organizations

An HRM audit is a formal review of the outcomes of HRM functions.

A recruiter's colleagues are most useful as a source of leads to qualified job candidates than are people the recruiter communicates with only occasionally.

Which of the following elements of a high-performance work system determines how the details of the organization's necessary activities will be grouped,whether into jobs or team responsibilities?

Which of the following in an organization usually makes most of the decisions about organizational structure?

Training dollars per employee is a business indicator of the success of an HR department's training programs.

Which of the following elements in a high-performance work system contributes to high performance by encouraging people to strive for objectives that support the organization's overall goals and includes the performance measures by which employees are judged?

The usual way to measure customer satisfaction in the course of an HRM audit is to conduct experiments in controlled environments.

High-performance work systems result in _____.

In a high-performance work system,task design makes jobs _____.

Which of the following statements is true about task design?

Which of the following statements is true of high-performance work systems?

Identify the term that refers to the way in which an organization groups its people into useful divisions,departments,and reporting relationships.

Which of the following is true of an information system?

Identify the statement that best defines a high-performance work system.

One way to measure HRM effectiveness is to measure a program's success in terms of whether it achieved its objectives and whether it delivered value in an economic sense.